Cars 2: What Kind of Car is Finn McMissile? (Slideshow)

Finn McMissile has numerous styling cues that were common on European sports cars of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The new Disney-Pixar film “Cars 2″ began as a story about U.S. race car Lightning McQueen competing against the fastest cars from Europe and Asia. But along the way it developed into more of a spy thriller and a sleek British agent car named Finn McMissile took over.

Like the original “Cars” of 2006, the new movie, which opens Friday, is certain to have car fans trying to identify makes, models and years of the car characters on screen. There are American Motors Gremlins and Pacers, Yugos, Ford Mustangs, Fiats and Citroens that are unmistakable. But other vehicles including McMissile are harder to nail down.

So what is he? A 1965 Aston Martin DB5, perhaps? His shape is similar and the connection would make sense because James Bond famously drove a DB5 in the 1960s. But McMissile’s grille doesn’t match and his tail fins seem more pronounced. He could be a 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica or a 1967 Triumph Spitfire GT6.

Try again, says Jay Ward, who worked on the movies’ character development and has the title of Cars Franchise Guardian. Ward says McMissile has design cues from a number of vintage European sports cars, but is really based on the Peerless GT, an obscure British model of the late 1950s.

McMissile’s fastback shape, prominent grille and wire wheels place him solidly in the period from 1955 to 1965. But the film’s creators wanted to start with a car that had the right kind of tail fins. The Peerless’ pointy fins were just right.